The United States has always had a reputation for being a largely Christian nation, but in recent years there has been a steady growth in non-religious Americans. From atheism to agnosticism, more and more people are choosing to not affiliate with any religious organization. This trend towards a secular population is picking up speed, leading to profound cultural and social changes in the US.
What is Non-Religious Affiliation?
Non-religious affiliation is defined as an individual who does not identify with any established religion, typically an implied default of Christianity, but could also refer to other kinds of belief systems or even disbeliefs or atheists. Data from organizations like Pew Research Center shows that a majority of non-religious Americans describe themselves as spiritual, but without any kind of affiliation to a structured or organized religious organization or system.
Types of Non-Religious Affiliation
The makeup of the non-religious population of the United States is complicated, but can loosely be categorized into three different groups: those who identify as agnostic, those who identify as atheist, and those who don’t have any religious affiliation at all.
• Agnostic: Those who identify as agnostic are individuals who subscribe to the belief that spiritual or metaphysical knowledge is unknowable. Agnostics typically do not subscribe to either theism or atheism, and often identify more closely with the teachings of Eastern religions more so than with strictly Manichaeal faiths such as Christianity, Islam, or Judaism.
• Atheist: Those who academically identify as an atheist subscribe to the belief that there is no evidence of the existence of deities or similar concepts. Atheists tend to be skeptics and often hold strong views on morality and ethics, which are often seen as being juxtaposed to traditional religious teachings. Atheists often reject the notion that a god or deity is necessary for any kind of morality, instead subscribing to a more humanistic moral code.
• Unaffiliated: Unaffiliated people are individuals who do not adhere to any particular religion or creed, but may still have spiritual, moral, or ethical beliefs. Unaffiliated people may wear attire, symbols, or jewelry from various religions without ascribing to any any religious or spiritual systems. Often, unaffiliated individuals are simply not interested in organized religious activities or institutions.
The Growth of Non-Religious Affiliation in America
The rapid growth of individuals who identify as either agnostic, atheist, or unaffiliated is an ongoing pattern in the United States, and even around much of the world. According to the Pew Research Center, in the United States in 2016, 76.7% of the public identified as Christian, while those who did not identify with any organized religion but still held beliefs of some kind made up 16.4% of the population. That number has risen steadily over the past two decades and is projected to continue to increase, with agnostics and atheists themselves seen as the fastest growing groups.
The Reason Behind This Growth
There can be a range of reasons accounting for why individuals become non-religious, including reasons such as culture, society, and even past traumas. But what is seen as a constant factor in this growth is the amount of information Americans have access to and their ability to determine their own beliefs, often navigating away from what is seen as the norm of American belief systems.
The spread of information over the internet is often seen as the primary facilitator in this trend. Individuals not only have access to a range of arguments for and against established religious systems, but they also can integrate those beliefs into their own lives, often finding support for those beliefs through social media, blogs, and online discussion boards.
The Impact of Non-Religious Affiliation
Though the numbers may be small, the implications of the growth of non-religious affiliation in the United States are large. Firstly, it is seen as a challenge to the conservative religious worldviews still in influence in much of the country. Not only does this ideological challenge come from within the church, but also from without, as non-religious individuals are often seen as a different voice when it comes to matters of faith and belief.
At the same time, this growth also allows individuals who previously felt alienated to find solace and support in an increasingly diverse array of beliefs and viewpoints. “This is part of the great value of an increasingly more accepting and pluralistic society,” one such non-religious individual was quoted as saying, “because it allows people to find ways to express their beliefs and perspectives that they would not have been able to do before.”
The Future of Non-Religious Affiliations
Given the trend over the last decades and the impact it has already had on US culture, it is likely that non-affiliations will continue to grow in the future. It is difficult to predict exactly what impact this growth will have on the country, but it is likely to be dramatic, as it will likely involve renegotiating the power structures between religious groups and the non-religious, leading to a more tolerant and accepting America in the coming years.
The growth of non-religious affiliation in the United States is a trend that is rapidly gaining momentum, and is likely to redefine spirituality and morality across the entire country in the near future. With access to increased information and social networks, more and more individuals are able to freely explore their own beliefs and values, often outside the boundaries of traditional religious systems. This has, and will continue to have, a powerful and transformative effect on American culture.
